1a.Objectives (from AD-416)
Conduct clinical studies with the next generation of RVFV vaccines to determine their efficacy for disease control in Kenya.

1b.Approach (from AD-416)
Implement clinical challenge studies to evaluate the ability of available RVFV vaccines to stop viremia post challenge thus block viral transmission to the mosquito host. The initial portion of the project is to develop vaccination dose strategies by evaluating the host immune response to vaccination in relevant domestic African ruminant species. Project also requires the development of a challenge model in relevant domestic African ruminant species to evaluate the ability of RVFV vaccine(s) to prevent transmission to a relevant mosquito vector. Preferably, the challenge model will account for commonly occurring natural challenges by using mosquito transmission. The vaccine challenge model will require a sub agreement with the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute due to lack of Animal Biosafety level 3 (ABSL-3) facilities in Kenya.

3.Progress Report

The desired long-term outcome of this research is to protect people in Africa from RVFV by developing a vaccine to protect domestic ruminants, which are the presumed reservoirs and are amplifying hosts. The primary objective is to develop the infrastructure necessary to conduct clinical studies with the attenuated and next generation of RVFV vaccines to determine their efficacy for disease control. Although this project was initiated in October 2009 the funding from the Department of State to support this research project arrived in late, thus no research progress has been made this FY.